Walking Dead 1. Chapter 1

He wanted to start over, simple as that. They'd been handed a second chance in a world that didn't give second chances and he wasn't about to waste it, waiting for the pieces to finally fall into place. He'd let his ass drag in the dirt long enough, ignoring the pull in his chest whenever she was near. No-one knew if they'd get a tomorrow anymore and honestly, he was sick of denying his feelings any longer.

Finally, he knew exactly what he wanted.

Since that first moment he'd seen her, standing in that clearing with a rifle slung over one shoulder and his crossbow hanging from the other Daryl was determined not to lose the second chance he'd been given. He wanted to do things over…do things right, just like she deserved.

Carol had been dealt a shitty hand; they both had. Daryl knew they both deserved more than what life had given them so far.

For some reason the universe had seen fit to give him a second shot with her and no way was he going to fuck that up. Problem was, he didn't know the first thing about what he wanted to do, not really. He understood the logistics of it, but the execution of that was beyond him. Charming women had never been his strong suit. He wanted to start over, do things how they ought to be done, but he had no fucking clue how to even approach something like that, so he settled for making the only moved forward he knew how; doing what good guys were supposed to do.

What he knew about wooing women could fit on the back of a matchbook. He had no game. He didn't know the rules - didn't know how to play at all. Hell, he'd known that sad fact since he was an awkward teenager struggling to get two words out whenever in a pretty girl was in the same room. Most guys outgrew that stage of nervous shuffling and tied tongues but he never did.

Outwardly, he was a man in his forty's. Inside, he was still that skittish kid that had never asked a girl out on a date before. It would have been fucking obvious to a blind man that he didn't know what the hell he was doing when it came to the woman standing before him right now.

He'd told her he wanted to start over. Shit, surely she could have heard the message he was sending loud and clear. He hadn't meant just her with the group; he meant her and him. Do things right. Stop dancing around on eggshells and just admit what they both wanted...

A chance. Together. They were both so wounded by the past that neither wanted to risk losing what they had now, but the hazy middle ground they stumbled over now wasn't enough.

Daryl wanted more. He wanted _her._ Like they should have been all along.

He wasted too much time, waiting for her to be ready…for him to feel worthy of her. It was the time to acknowledge there was more between them than just friendship. What they shared ran deeper than that. She hadn't picked up on his subtle hints though, so he'd gone with the next best thing that popped into his mind. He decided then and there to do the chivalrous thing and do the heavy lifting.

It was an innocent offer…the sort of thing a nice guy, a man of _honour _would do.

Daryl was ready to be Carol's man of honour, he just didn't know how to let the woman involved know that.

He offered to carry a jug of water. A simple, old-fashioned gesture to show he wanted to lighten her load; to take care of her the only way he could think how. Not saying that she was weak; he knew she was a force to be reckoned with. Offering to help carry something was what guys used to do for girls, back before the world as they knew it ceased to exist. He'd watched plenty of guys back in high school do just that for their own girls. Daryl wanted to do that for his girl now.

He was just trying to be a gentleman…women liked that sort of shit, right?

Carol made him nervous as all hell now, ever since she had stepped back into his life less than twenty-four hours ago.

The fact that he was already holding something completely slipped his mind as he started reaching for the jug in her hand. By the time he realized his mistake it was too late to stop and the smooth move he had hoped to pull off had careened out of control like a peak hour five-car pileup on the freeway; a mangled mess of horror and carnage you couldn't help but stare at as it unfolded right before your eyes.

He should have checked he wasn't holding anything before offering to help, that would have been the smart thing to do…

When it came to Carol his sense of logic went right out the window.

He was such a fucking idiot. Daryl wanted to kick his own ass the second that jug slipped through his fingers and landed on the ground at her feet. Not just slipped; he had been so eager to help that he'd practically thrown the jug in her direction. Daryl watched helplessly as the jug hit the ground, splashing its contents over both their boots and wasting valuable drinking water in the process.

Time ceased when the jug hit the dirt, sending a puff of dust and broken leaves skyward before the contents sloshed out over the rim. He couldn't believe he'd pulled such an amateur move.

Thirteen year old boys everywhere were crying out in pain at the blunder.

Their eyes met, and he saw instantly she was doing her best not to laugh. It was the same pursed expression she'd pulled back that first night at the prison when she asked if he wanted to screw around. God help him, it was cute. The word had never been in his vocabulary before but that's how she looked standing there, fighting the urge to smile at his fumbling attempt to help.

Daryl never thought he'd apply that word to a warrior like Carol but starting over meant approaching things differently and in that second, the sight of her trying to hold back a smile – a smile he was responsible for putting on her face no less - was cute. More than cute…it made him smile too.

All he wanted to do was carry the water for her…hell, he'd sweep her up in his arms and carry her back to the church if that's what she wanted.

He slapped his palm to his face, trying to hide the blush that was in danger of overtaking every inch of his skin. Just because he'd made her smile didn't make him feel any less of an unco-ordinated idiot.

When he'd looked over at her again, she was finally smiling. Any action that made her face light up like that couldn't be all bad, he decided. Maybe he wasn't so bad at this whole wooing thing after all. He'd felt her eyes on him as he scooped up the jug and continued as if the whole incident had never happened. Daryl let her move forward first, determined to salvage as much of his new chivalrous act as possible.

Maybe he had game and maybe he didn't, but if it meant keeping Carol smiling like that he'd keep up whatever the hell he was doing because he was sure it was starting to work.

**A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this piece. I've been inspired by the water jug mating throw of Daryl Dixon, so I've decided to write a series of one shots, all involving different scenarios of our resident redneck trying to by chivalrous and helpful with Carol. He may fail, he may not, we'll just see how this plays out. Some chapters will be inspired by direct Caryl scenes, but others will be completely my own thoughts and ideas. I hope you decide to stick around for the ride.**


	2. Wanna Dance?

The small campfire Carl managed to construct gave off barely any warmth but it bathed the clearing with a soft, golden glow that kept the shadows at bay. Game had been scarce on the ground, meaning there had been no chance to bag a hot meal to fill their empty stomachs. Luckily, the pecans distributed courtesy of Tyreese and Carol provided adequate food to starve off hunger for another night at least.

After fleeing Terminus, the only one of them with much of an appetite was Judith. It was probably a good thing there wasn't anything other than pie filling available to eat that night…anything more substantial would more than likely have come straight back up.

Daryl sat on the edge of the assembled group, his elbows resting on bent knees as he stared into the dancing flames of their pitiful fire. So much had happened in the last day. He was still processing the events that had led him to where he was now, alive and in one piece.

He thought his number was up, kneeling on the floor of that slaughterhouse with Rick on one side and Glenn on the other. So many regrets had whirled though his mind when the bastard with the bat started throwing practice swings, but his biggest regret had to do with the woman banished before the shit had really hit the fan.

He'd just always figured she'd be there. All it took was one spur of the moment decision from Rick and she was gone. Cut out of their family like she was nothing. He'd lost her so many times before then, but this time had been different. He had been different when he thought she was gone.

Daryl had been too busy wallowing in self-pity after the fall of the prison to sit back and take stock of the situation. The one thing he should have trusted was that if there was one person who was going to survive this world now, it was Carol.

Those nine lives of hers had taken a beating since the world went to shit but mercifully, she hadn't cashed in all of them just yet.

Carol had saved all their asses, storming Terminus with guns blazing like she was Sarah Connor or some shit. He'd connected the dots well enough to know she went in there singlehanded and helped orchestrate the events that led to their escape. She'd survived after Rick sent her packing and now she was back, tough as nails and stronger than ever.

Every last person sitting in the clearing now owed Carol a debt they could never begin to repay.

He'd always known she could hold her own, but from what he saw of her handiwork at Terminus, Carol was something else. She was a force to be reckoned with.

He never thought he'd see her again after what Rick had done but Daryl had to admit, he owed the man. If Rick hadn't of sent her away, Carol would have been there when the Governor tore the place down. She could have been the one beyond the gates instead of Hershel that morning…

Losing the older man had been a cruel blow, but the thought of losing her in such a manner damn-near stopped the hunter's heart. He shuddered just thinking about what could have happened to her if things had played out differently.

It wasn't lost on Daryl that if Carol hadn't shown up when she did and done what she'd done, he wouldn't have made it to see another night again. Kneeling before that trough, he'd thought his time was up. He would have been strung up and bled out like some hog in an abattoir, with those assholes carving out a chuck of him to serve for Sunday dinner.

It was fucking sick, what those pricks at Terminus had planned to do to them. People were just meat for the table, nothing more. Thinking about what almost happened made bile rise in his throat, the taste settling on his tongue as he sat there staring into the flames.

He quickly shoved a pecan into his mouth, trying desperately to mask the sour taste with the only thing available.

No matter how hard he chewed…how long he let the morsel roll around his tongue, that sharp, sickening bitterness remained on the edge of his palette, refusing to budge. Reminding him of just how close he came to biting the big one only hours ago.

It went against all odds but here they were, sitting around a campfire and sharing a handful of pecans like this night was no different from any other before it. In a way, it wasn't a whole lot different. Since the Governor rolled up to the prison this was what life was now, scavenging for enough food to keep them going until the next meal and looking for a safe place to rest a few hours.

Daryl raised his eyes from the fire to find the subject of his recent train of thought standing at the edge of the light on the other side of the clearing, her head bowed together with Rick's as they quietly spoke. Didn't take a genius to work out what the topic of conversation over in that neck of the woods was. It didn't matter what Rick was saying to her though, as far as Daryl was concerned she was staying put with them from here on out. No more bullshit about separating or banishment. They were a family and family stuck together, no matter what.

They'd lost enough people already; he wasn't about to risk losing her again.

A movement in the corner of his eye captured the hunter's attention, causing him to snap his head sharply to the left. His hand shot to the crossbow resting by his side, his fingers brushing over the cold metal of the frame. After the shitstorm they'd managed to survive in the last twenty-four hours, he wasn't about to let them get taken out by a stray walker or Terminus resident looking for a pound of flesh, revenge or otherwise.

Focusing his gaze, Daryl found it wasn't a walker that had caught his eye. He withdrew his hand from the crossbow, letting the weapon fall back amongst the dried leaves of the forest floor as he watched the scene unfold before him.

Bob was standing near the fire, trying to tug Sasha to her feet and failing miserably with the attempt. The woman stubbornly kept her ass glued to the ground, chuckling as she half-heartedly swatted the smiling man away. Despite her argument, Bob continued his effort to convince her to stand. Seemed like the man enjoyed a challenge, judging by the amused smile plastered across his face. The struggle continued briefly until the former medic won out, successfully managing to drag the woman to her feet until she was standing with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close. Feet started shuffling and soon the pair was swaying together in the firelight, Sasha's head resting on Bob's shoulder as they moved back and forth like tree branches blowing in the breeze.

Daryl discretely watched the couple from the under the cover of his matted hair. As misplaced as it was - seeing two people moving to a silent beat in the middle of the forest - there was also something right about the scene. It just fit, like two pieces of a puzzle finally being brought together. The pair of them laughed as Bob swung Sasha, sending a cloud of dust and leaves skyward.

Must be nice, having someone special to share something as simple as a dance with. His whole life, Daryl hadn't had anything like that.

He envied the ease they had with one another. They made it look so simple, so natural. Daryl had never felt like that with anyone. The closest he ever came to feeling that sort of contentment was when he was with Carol, but it wasn't as simple as Bob and Sasha made it look. When he'd thrown his arms around Carol earlier that day in the woods it had felt right, but the manoeuvre had been awkward; Daryl didn't know much about women but he realized things were supposed to move smoother than that. He hadn't known what to touch or where to hold her. He remembered lifting her off the ground at one point, the action making her giggle and she'd leant further into his chest in response.

In a way, that hug had been just like a dance. One moved in one direction, the other followed. Daryl wondered if all hugs were like that; a dance that became choreographed with time and practice.

Not for the first time since that first moment back in the woods, Daryl couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to hold Carol in his arms again. To feel curled around him, holding her to him because she wanted him that close.

It had been the only real hug he'd ever initiated. For a first try, he figured it didn't go too badly. He'd gotten his arms around the girl without any trouble and she'd let him hold her, even going so far as to return the embrace. He never thought any woman would let him touch her like that but, not for the first time in his life, Daryl had been wrong. Her arms had snaked tightly around his back without hesitation the moment he'd crashed into her and she'd held on to him just as tightly as he had her. She hadn't pushed him away or shuddered when his hand cupped the back of her head. She let him hold her, like Sasha was letting Bob hold her.

Like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly.

What surprised Daryl most about the hug was that, even though he had been gulping for breath and hadn't been able stand still to save his life, having Carol in his arms felt right…like that was how they were supposed to be all along.

He'd been watching the pair for a solid minute when he realized something. Daryl longed to be where Bob was, but it wasn't Sasha that the hunter wanted to be dancing with; it was Carol. He wanted to feel Carol in his arms again, to relive their earlier embrace when she'd appeared in the post-haze of Terminus. He wanted to laugh with her, touch her, for no reason other than he craved her proximity.

Daryl watched as the happy couple continued to swing and sway around the fire until Tyreese stepped up and tapped Bob on the shoulder, ceasing the impromptu dance. The medic graciously stepped aside, effortlessly spinning Sasha into her brother's open arms in the process. Tyreese managed to catch his sister and keep her upright as he swung her around the clearing, the pair of them laughing as they moved. For a man his size, Tyreese was surprisingly light on his feet. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot filled the air as the siblings twirled, picking their way around the scattered bodies encompassing the fire.

His gaze drifted past the chuckling siblings to land back on Carol, done talking with Rick and now sitting on the opposite side of the clearing. The woman had distanced herself from the others, choosing to settle further away from what little heat the flames offered. He watched her through the flickering flames, taking note of how the yellow and orange light played across her features. At that moment, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She was strong and confident and didn't take shit from anybody.

Didn't hurt that she'd saved his life neither. She was something else. She was special.

It dawned on the hunter as he sat watching her, he wanted more from Carol than whatever the hell was between them now. He wanted to be with Carol like Bob was with Sasha, or Glenn was with Maggie. He didn't just want to hold her briefly, he wanted to hold her from here on out.

When he thought about it, it had always been Carol…he just hadn't been able to admit to himself what he really wanted. He'd wasted enough time, dancing around what was right in front of him from the start. Problem was, he didn't have any clue how to go from how they were now into something more. Something stronger.

Ever since he'd first laid eyes on her earlier that day, Daryl hadn't been able to look away. For once in his life, he didn't _want_ to look away.

"You should have kissed her." The sound of Bob's voice so close to Daryl's ear startled the normally observant hunter, making him jump and scaring the daylights out of him.

"The fuck?" Daryl grunted, annoyed that someone with as little stealth as Bob had managed to get the drop on him so easily. He glanced around, checking if Bob's words had gathered any attention but it appeared everyone was too wrapped up watching the dancing duo move around the forest floor to pay them any mind.

The redneck scowled at the man towering over him. "What the hell you talking about?" he spat, giving Bob his most scathing glare.

The grinning man dropped down beside Daryl, completely un-phased by the vibe the hunter was putting out. Bob nodded across the fire towards where Carol had separated herself from the rest of the group. "Back there, in the woods. If you were gonna make a move that was the time to do it."

"You should mind your own damn business," Daryl muttered, his face burning. He ducked his head, attempting to hide the growing blush. Had it really been that obvious that Bob had seen what was between them before Daryl had even realized it was there?

"Yeah, I probably should mind my own business," Bob conceded, rocking backwards on his heels, "but I won't," he added, grinning smugly. "The good thing about no more T.V. is, I get to watch people instead. Know you…watching _you_, watching _her_…her watching you when you don't know she's watching," he jerked his chin towards the woman sitting on the opposite side of the fire. Daryl's head shot up at Bob's words and his eyes went straight to her. Sure enough, Carol ducked her own head down in response, apparently embarrassed at being caught with her eyes on him.

The former medic chuckled, plucking a twig from the ground and twilling it in his fingers. "You two are adorable, skirting around each other like that. Best show I've seen in a while."

"You ain't using us as your own damn soap opera." Daryl cursed inwardly the moment the words left his mouth. Why'd he have to say _us_ like that…like they were already something? The guy was like a dog with a bone when he got an idea. Mistakes like that would only serve to give Bob ammunition.

"If this was a soap opera you definitely would have kissed her and had a busload of kids by now," chuckled Bob. "But it _would_ take six months for you to finish eating that pecan I see you still chewing, so maybe this ain't so different from a show after all."

Daryl quickly swallowed the last remaining morsels of pecan he'd been swirling around his mouth. "Cable's been out for a long time. Ain't nothing for you to watch 'round here no more."

"I wouldn't say that. I've been watching the Carol and Daryl show ever since that first day you and Glenn brought me through those prison gates."

Daryl felt the heat warming his face intensify. Bob had been watching them that long? How the hell did he manage to work out something Daryl had only just begun to recognise? Just because he'd come to a realisation about Carol didn't mean he wanted to sit there, painting his nails and gabbing about feelings with the guy.

"Why don't you try botherin' someone else?" Daryl huffed, desperate to end the uncomfortable conversation. He gestured towards Tyreese and Sasha. "Go cut in or somethin'?"

Bob smiled softly and shook his head. "Nah, man. My girl's dance card is full right now. But," the man paused, scanning the people around the fire, "just 'cause I'm happy to be a wallflower don't mean you gotta be one too." His head stopped moving when his gaze finally settled on Carol. Bob jerked his chin towards the woman responsible for saving their collective asses. "Ask her to dance. If you're thinking of making a move, this is as good a time as any. We don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring. Make something good out of the bad. I took a chance with Sasha, letting her know how I felt. Best decision I ever made," he said, the smile never leaving his face as he spoke. "You missed your chance earlier today. Don't let another opportunity slip by is all I'm sayin'…" Bob left the sentiment hanging in the air as his eyes followed the still-moving Tyreese and Sasha.

The hunter listened to the words the other man spoke as he kept his eyes trained on Carol. Could it really be that easy? Just tell her how he felt, how she made him feel. A hug was one thing, but putting himself out there like that was an entirely foreign concept to the redneck. He'd be working without a net, pulling a move like that. Daryl had never before sided up to a woman and asked 'Wanna dance?'

It sounded simple, but the idea was a lot more complex than Bob was making it out to be.

"Like I said back at Terminus, we gotta take a chance." Bob straightened, raising back to his full height. "Maybe the chance you take is a simple as taking the first step forward across the camp. We all deserve a little happiness." He flashed the hunter a parting grin before turning and moving across the clearing towards where Carl and Michonne sat together, cooing at a gurgling Judith.

Daryl let Bob's words sink in as he watched the other man retreat. His initial embarrassment at the man's chosen topic of conversation ebbed away the longer he mulled over everything Bob had said.

The former medic wasn't wrong. None of them knew how much time they had on the clock anymore. Carol had saved their lives…she deserved more than an awkward hug and the shy glances he'd been throwing her way. Asking Carol to dance was a big step, especially with the gawking audience gathered. He wasn't confident enough to strut across the clearing and casually ask her something like that. After their hug, all eyes would be on them and every move they made from now on, judging from Bob's less-than-subtle commentary on the subject.

He didn't need to broadcast his intentions across the entire campsite. There was no way he was going to embarrass her with a dumbass move like that. Drawing attention would be the last thing she would want after everything that had happened already. Carol hated when all eyes were looking her way, Daryl knew her well enough to understand that.

If he was going to do something, it had to be when they were alone. Daryl made a decision as he sat there, his eyes settling on the woman across the fire from him. Wherever she went, he went. No more separating. He would be alone with her whenever he could. When it was just the two of them, he'd man-up and somehow find a way to let her know how he felt.

Now she was back, he was going to make sure to start moving forward. Not a full-blown dance, just one step at a time. No more of this holding pattern bullshit. He'd start off small, doing something that meant something…help her out somehow.

Rick walked past, signalling to Daryl it was his turn to take watch. There wasn't any time for dancing now, even if he had the balls to ask her something like that. Daryl caught Carol's eye as he stood, nodding once as he took a step away from the warmth of the fire and out into the shadows of the forest. She understood his silent request, standing also and grabbing her rifle in the process. She would take watch with him. It wasn't dancing, but the move was choreographed better than any other he had at his disposal.

It was his first chance to spend some time with her, alone. He wasn't about to make a move as Bob had put it, but being there with her, _for her_, was something; a way to show he cared. Daryl wanted to start over. To take that first step forward. One day, he'd ask her to dance. First, he had to learn how to walk before he could run.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Even though this is the second chapter, this scene takes place before chapter one (I was inspired after the first chapter, what can I say?) Sorry it's out of order. My bad.**

**I was inspired with Bob-feels after, well…you know (not talking about it, not talking about it). I couldn't resist having Bob be the one to start planting ideas in Daryl's head about how it was time to make a move on Carol. Not only that, but I could totally see Bob pulling Sasha up to dance around the campfire. I couldn't see Daryl just walking over and asking her to dance, so instead he decides to start showing her how he feels (in my mind, this then led to him offering to carry the jug of water). **

**Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**


End file.

Walking Dead, Drama, Romance